Promise
by Journal3Cipher
Summary: Billy made a promise to Spencer, a promise that not even death can break.


**Hey! I'm Journal3Cipher, but you can call me Three. I mostly write for Gravity Falls, but I've been watching ****_Dude, That's My Ghost! _****for a few months now and have been wanting to write a story about it for a really long time. So here it is. This is my first time ever writing a story for this show, so please bear with me if it turns out to be awful. I tried. **

**Anyway, sometimes I dream of a world in which Billy is actually mature and competent enough to provide support for Spencer and to be, well... Not as clueless as he is in the show. This story is that world. Ectofeature if you squint a little bit, but that's not really what I was going for. **

**Also, the first little bit takes place when Spencer is 5, and the rest takes place when he's 13 or so. If there's any confusion, I apologize in advance. **

**~ Three**

I step off the bus, my mom's hand holding onto mine tightly. I can't help smiling as I see the huge mansion in front of us.

The front gate opens and my family walks inside. I survey their faces- Jessica looks bored, my dad looks awestruck, and my mom looks excited.

The door comes into view. I suddenly jerk my hand free from my mom's grip and sprint up to the door, pounding on the doorbell with my fist.

After a few moments, the door opens and I'm greeted by the grinning face of my cousin, Billy Joe Cobra.

"Hey-hey, Spence! What's shakin'?" He holds out his fist to me. I meet it with my own, then step in close to him and wrap my arms around his leg. It's as high as I can reach; he's pretty tall and I'm still quite small.

Laughing, Billy scoops me up in his arms and tosses me into the air, catching me when I come down and bringing me right up to his chest for a tight hug. I close my eyes and hug back with all my strength.

"I missed you, Billy."

"I missed you too." I feel Billy's hand ruffle my hair gently. I smile.

We stay locked in the embrace for quite some time, until we hear my dad clear his throat. Billy sets me down, flashing me one last lopsided grin before turning to face my parents.

"Good to see you again, Hugh, Jane, Jessica. Come on in. I've got some snacks set out for you guys."

Billy walks back into the house, and my family follows, my mom grabbing my forearm and dragging me along behind her.

When we get inside, I see a platter of peanut butter sandwiches, a tray of brownies, and a few pitchers of lemonade. Billy pours the beverage into two glasses and sticks little paper umbrellas into both, handing one to me and keeping one for himself. He doesn't offer anything to my parents or my sister, but offers me his hand. I slip mine into it and find myself being led through the mansion.

I look up at my cousin, who is smiling down at me, his eyes full of joy. "I'm so glad that you peeps are able to spend a few weeks here! Sure, your family may be a bunch of toolbars, but at least you're here."

"Yeah, I'm really happy too. Where are we going?"

"Away from them."

We walk through a doorway and into Billy's studio, which is full of all sorts of instruments, recording equipment, and various awards. Billy beams down at me and sets his glass of lemonade down on an amp before picking me up again and placing me on his shoulder. He kicks the door shut behind him, not taking his eyes off me.

"We can do anything you want for three whole weeks, cuz. Isn't that awesome, brosif?"

"Totally awesome!" I curl my arms around his neck and press my face up against his. He pats me on the back, then sits down in a chair and moves me down to his lap.

I'm not normally someone who liked hugs or even holding hands, but Billy and I have always been extremely close. He's my cousin, and my best friend. I don't get to see him very much, but when I do, it makes me happier than anything else. I really love him, and look up to him, and want to spend every moment I can with him.

We basically just hang out for the rest of the day, leaving my family to their own devices. Billy puts on a little concert for me, we swim in the pool, we watch a movie. I love Beverly Heights, and I love spending time with Billy. It's the perfect day.

When night falls, I'm forced to stay in a separate room. I lie awake for a while before finally drifting off.

A few hours later, I wake up screaming, my heart pounding and my breathing quick. It was just a dream, just a simple nightmare...

But I find myself shivering and unable to sleep after that. Eventually, I get out of bed and shuffle down the halls to Billy's room.

I crack open the door and peer in. Billy slowly sits up and rubs his eyes. "Spencer... Is that you?"

I nod, biting my lip. Billy shoots me a puzzled look, then I see his tired eyes soften. He gives me a warm smile and extends his arms, beckoning me to him.

"Bad dream, huh? That's okay, little dude, you can stay with me tonight." I return his smile and walk over to his bedside. He takes hold of my torso and lifts me up, setting me down in his lap. He gently rubs my back, trying to get me to calm down.

"It's okay. I've got you."

I am crying softly, but Billy's caring touch is enough to soothe my nerves a little. I place my hand on his, and he takes it.

"Do you think you can sleep? I'll be right here."

Tentatively, I nod. Billy lifts the covers and I slip under them, laying my head down on the pillow. I'm on my side, and Billy is facing me. He sets his hand on my hip and pulls me closer to him, snuggling right up against me.

The warmth of my cousin's body, the softness of the sheets, and the reassuring touch allow me to fall asleep again, and to sink into pleasant dreams.

"Come on, honey, say goodbye. We've got to get to the airport in time to catch our flight." My mom's tone is patient and steady, but I can sense that she's becoming tired of waiting.

I gaze up at Billy, who is smiling but is obviously just as sad as I am. I feel my lip and shoulders tremble, tears springing up in my eyes.

Billy sinks down to his knees and pulls me into an almost crushing hug, his fingers entwining in my hair and curling into the folds of my shirt.

"Bye, Spence. Catch you on the flip, my man."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

With one final squeeze, he separates from me, but doesn't rise. He extends his hand to me, fingers all curled into a fist except for his pinkie.

"Hey, I'll see you soon, kid. I promise."

Trying to fight back the tears, I wrap my pinkie around his, sealing the deal.

"Promise."

Then I feel my mom take my other hand and pull me away from Billy, who stands up and waves to me. He smiles, but tears are collecting in his eyes too.

I wave back to him.

I hope I'll get to see him soon.

I'm sitting at my desk, my computer on in front of me, opened to the editing program I always use when working on my movies. This one is coming along great. I can't wait to post it on MeTube!

As time passes, I feel myself start to get hungry. I try to ignore it, but I can't. I give up and head downstairs to get some lunch.

When I reach the bottom of the staircase and start to round the corner, I can hear my mom talking on the phone with someone. She sounds like she's about to cry.

"Yes... Okay, I understand. Oh my God... I just... I can't believe this... Of-of course. Thank you. Goodbye." She hangs up the phone and buries her face in her hands, resting her elbows on the table.

"Mom...? What's wrong?" I slowly approach her, sitting down at the chair next to her. She looks up at me. Her eyes are red, swollen, and glistening.

She takes a deep breath and grabs hold of my hands.

"Spencer... I-I just got a call from, well..." She chokes on her words a little bit, and dread starts to pool in my stomach. "It's just... Your cousin Billy... He... He's d-dead, honey. I'm sorry."

Her words strike me like gunfire, punching a hole in my heart and leaving me with ringing in my ears. My jaw drops and I gape at her, not willing to believe her.

"What...?! B-B-Billy's dead?!" Tears start to form in my eyes and trail down my cheeks. I feel myself start to hyperventilate, my heart start to beat faster. It hurts so much, and I don't want to accept it as reality. It can't be true, it can't.

My mom sniffs a little bit and pulls me into a hug. "I'm so sorry, Spencer."

But sorry isn't good enough. I push her away and shoot to my feet, shoving my chair aside and causing it to fall over. I can barely see through the tears now, and every little fiber of my being feels like it's crashing and burning up.

I dash out of the kitchen, up the stairs, and into my room. I slam and lock the door behind me, then flop down onto my bed. I smash my face into the pillow and sob.

_Billy's dead._

I feel like I'm about to throw up. My body is shaking, my head is spinning, and the tears just won't stop coming.

_He promised..._

The funeral is an elegant and extravagant affair, just like I knew it would be. It was Billy's funeral, after all.

Everyone is dressed in black, wearing somber, sullen expressions. There are a lot of people here, and I don't actually know most of them. "Figures," I say out loud.

"What was that, Spencer?" My dad looks down at me, a quizzical expression on his face.

I turn away from him. "Nothing."

The procession leads us to a large open space covered with white folding chairs. A podium is set up on a stage. To the side of it is a table with a white cloth over it, and a black casket surrounded by white roses.

I sink down into a chair in the front row and cast my eyes down. The sky is a depressing grey, and it echoes the mood of the entire procession perfectly.

A man wearing a suit steps up to the podium,. He clears his throat, shuffles a stack of papers, and speaks into the microphone.

I don't pay attention to what he says. Something about celebrating the life and death of Billy Joe Cobra. He uses Billy's real name. It's Baruch Cohen. He never told me that.

He never told me so many things... And now he's gone...

I bite my lip and try to contain my emotions. I will be strong, at least for a little while longer.

Several people give eulogies, some far more heartfelt than others. I don't look up. I slip my hand into my pocket and grab the notecards in there. It's almost my turn.

After a few minutes, my dad elbows me and indicates the stage. I slowly get to my feet and walk to the stage, stepping up onto it and approaching the podium. I adjust the microphone so it's at my height and glance down at my notes.

"I... Uh... Billy Joe was my cousin, and we were always very close... He meant the world to me, and- and- and seeing him was the highlight of my entire life. He was the sun, the moon, the stars. He was the whole universe, and he was more important to me than life itself.

"Now that Billy's gone, I don't know what to do. What do you do when half your heart gets cut out of your chest? Billy was the other half of my heart. He was my best friend, and I promise that his legacy and his memories will not fade away. He made a promise to me, eight years ago, when I was only five years old. Now it's my turn to make a promise to him..."

There's a little bit of an awkward pause. Everyone stares at me. I fiddle with my bow tie and attempt to continue, fighting the blush that's overtaking me.

"I... I'd like to, uh... Now I-I'm going to perform a s-s-song that Billy always loved... Okay, here goes..."

I inhaled deeply and started to sing.

"S-Summer has come and passed. The innocent can never last. Wake me up when September ends..."

I look down and try to ignore all the eyes on me. _This is for Billy_, I remind myself. Suddenly, I find strength inside myself. I push on, disregarding all the stares and looking straight out at the crowd.

"Like my father's, come to pass, seven years has gone so fast. Wake me up when September ends... Here comes the rain again, falling from the stairs... Drenched in my pain again, becoming who we are... As my memory rests, but never forgets what I lost... Wake me up when September ends... Thank you."

I step away from the podium. I cast a look at the casket, but tears start to overcome me and I quickly walk off the stage. People are applauding, but I don't turn to look at any of them.

When I reach my seat, my mom takes my hand. I look over at her. She's crying. So is my dad, and so is almost everyone in sight.

"That was lovely, Spencer," my mom whispers in my ear. "Thank you so much,"

More words are spoken about my cousin. I tune them out again, staring at my hands, which are folded in my lap. I am crying softly, silently, wishing more than anything that I could just make this stop.

"Spencer? Can I come in?" My mom's voice is coming from outside my bedroom door. I am lying in my bed, staring at the ceiling. All the lights are turned off, the blinds are drawn shut. Everything is silent and dark.

"Yeah, sure..." I grab the edge of the bedsheets and pull them up over my shoulders, turning away from the door.

The door swings open and my mom walks in. She comes up to my bed and perches on the edge, resting her hand on my back.

"Hey, sweetie... Guess what? I just got off the phone with one of Billy's, er... People. He said that some paperwork and stuff has been done, and it turns out that we've actually inherited Billy's mansion. We're going to move within the next month or so. Isn't that exciting."

I emit a muffled groan, bundling myself up more. It's really not exciting. I don't want to have to be reminded of Billy every single day of my life. Living in his house will just make things worse.

"Maybe you should think about starting to put your stuff into boxes, Spencer. I'll bring some up." She plants a kiss on the top of my head, then stands and leaves the room, closing the door behind her.

I moan quietly, turning over onto my back. Great... Just great...

I trudge through the front gate, my suitcase and backpack weighing me down even more than my emotions are already. The sun is shining brightly down on Beverly Heights today, but it does nothing to improve my mood.

I shuffle into the mansion and immediately head for the studio. Once I arrive there, I throw my luggage into a corner and flop down in a chair. I massage my temples and shut my eyes, trying to force away memories.

It isn't easy. I keep seeing Billy there, smiling, laughing, holding me close. I see myself as a kid, afraid, and him there comforting me.

It still hurts so much... I don't know if I'll be able to stand living here.

The weeks drag on, with each little move I make driving those echoes of the past into my broken heart and making it bleed. I just want it all to stop. I can't tale every single thing reminding me of the person that I loved, who I will never be able to see again.

That was a long time ago. It seemed so distant, like a light at the end of a long tunnel... And yet each day it comes back to haunt me.

I'm sitting in my room, trying to fall asleep, but I know that sleep will only bring nightmares. I don't need any more. I've been trying to live with them for almost a month now, and I really don't want another ounce of heartbreak.

Billy Joe Cobra, my everything, gone...

Suddenly, my door swings open, slamming against the wall. I jump and sit up in bed, staring at it. Shock and fear sweep over me as I see a floating chain with a guitar pick fastened to it. The levitating object makes its way across the room and drops over my head, hanging around my neck.

And then Billy appears in front of me.

"Hey, Spence! Long time, no see, huh?"

My heart pounds against my chest. I am unable to speak, to move, to even breathe.

"Billy...?" I manage to squeak out the name before I faint dead away.

My eyelids slowly flutter open, and I'm greeted by bright lights and the grinning face of my deceased cousin. I jolt upright fast and feel my back collide with the headboard of my bed.

"Billy? Is that you? What- How are you- Oh my God..."

"Hey, chillax, brotato! We don't want you passing out again." Billy sets his hands on my shoulders and smiles.

He looks and feels... Different. His skin is a light blue, and his hair is a slightly darker shade. His clothes just look faded. He is surrounded by a blueish glow. He is somewhat... Transparent. When he touches me, it feels like mist.

"Dude, what happened to you...?"

"What? Oh! I'm a ghost now. Pretty wicked, huh?" Billy beams at me, his face inches from mine.

"A... A ghost? Well, why didn't you show up earlier?"

"Well, it turns out that the only way someone can see me is if they're wearing something that belonged to me when I was alive. I gave you my guitar pick necklace, and voila! The Cobra is back, baby!"

His grin fades when he notices the tears starting to form in my eyes.

"Spencer? What's-"

I cut him off, enveloping him in a tight hug and pressing the side of my face against his chest. I feel his long arms wrap around me. Hugging him is an odd sensation, but it still feels good.

"I missed you so much..." My voice comes out as a barely audible whisper.

"Yeah, I missed you too."

We stay there for a long time, neither one of us wanting to back away. We've both missed this, missed each other, and we aren't about to give each other up so quickly.

Those echoes of the past return, only this time, it's not such a bad thing.


End file.
